Conduit fish-wire machine.



F. CRAWFORD.

GONDUIT lFISH WIRE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED s,LPT.1o,1sm9A Patented Sept. 1U, V1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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[nl/Mors Fra 72kv Cmwfo re z/z' tnesses F. CRAWFORD. GONDUIT FISH WIRE MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED sBPT.1o, 1909.

1,088,093. Paten-tea sept. 10,1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Z 5l?! ).yd/ 55 i Fran/C Crawford ,A UNITED sTA'rEs PATENT oEEicE.

FRANK. CRAWFORD, OF'PSADENA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGENOR'TO-CONDUITTHREADING.

v DEVICE co.,l oF'rAsADENA, CALIFORNIA, Al conPonATIoN. or CALIFORNIA.

lsommaire FISH-Winn' MAcHiNE.

Leashes. l

To all whom 'it may concern: p

Be it known;` that 1,.FRANK CRAWFORD, a citizen ofthe United: States, residing lat Pasadena, inthe county of' Los Angeles and State of California', have invented a new and usefulConduit Fish-Wire Machine, of

which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to thaltftype of machines for inserting wires or conductors in conduits, wherein a fishewireY is first driven or fed vthrough the conduit in one direction,

after which the wire or conductor to belaid in the conduit is attached to the pro `truding forward end: of thevish-wire which is then withdrawn from the conduit in a direction opposite to that first taken, thereby pulling the wire or conductor through the conduit and into. itsultimate position. The sh-wire, as it is termed, is well adapted, by reason of its shape and general character, to pass through bends and angles in the conduits through which it would be impossible to force the wire or conductor itself, and hence with `a fish-wire of the proper type, a rapid. and generally satisfactory installation ofv electrical conductors andv the like can be had if proper means are provided for driving ahead the fish-wire with suliicient positiveness, force and speed, and for retracting the {ish-wire. Heretofore, however, the means adapted for the operation of the fish-wire have not given satisfactory results. The prior constructions have usually embodied feed rollers or the like between which the fish-wire was fed forward, and these devices have .the disadvantage that they not only fail. to grip the fish wire suflicientlyto drive the same ahead in a rapid and positive. manner, but that 'they do not permit of easy and effective adjustments'or alterations of the grip'- ping action such as will produce the bestresults in a Qgiven instance.

The primary object ofthe presentinvention is to avoidthesedefects and to furnish a machinein which thesh-wire may be moved veryrapidly in either direction through underground' conduits or those in buildings andthe like, for the purpose above indicated, regardless ofthe twists, turns or angles that exist in the said conduits. As electricalconductors 'or-the like can-thus be `installed in bent `or angular conduits in a 'surprisingly easy fashion andf'in aremark-- vspecification of Letters Patent. f lpatentedisepf., 10,1912 v*Appiicatiommeaseptember 10,1909; serial No. 517,155.'

. chine is peculiarly -welladapt-,ed for .the

Agwiring of buildings and similar structures.

l The novel features of the invention will {appea'r clearly from the followingv descrip- ,tion and claims.

Inv the accompanying drawings :-Figure l is a perspective View of a machine ing the invention, showing the fish-wire in the courseof its insertion into a conduit ofa tbuilding wall.; Fig. 2 is'a detail view of the 'clamp and the fish-wire spool; Fig. 3 is an enlarged. horizontal section through one edge of the. clamp and the fish-wire guide; Fig. 3a is a detail perspective view ofa portion of the fish-wire guide; F ig.v 4 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 4*4 of embody- Fig 5; Fig. 5 is 'an end elevation of the ma- ,chine showing the fish-wire wound. on its spool; 6 is a detail top view, partly in section, o the clamp andv spool, and F ig.` 7 is a horizontal longitudinal section ofthe thereof, on line aie-m7 of Fig. 5.

The machine comprises` a supporting frame 26 which is preferably made up of vangular side members orv frames suitably tied together by struts andbraces, as lshown, althoughit is to be understood that the construction of the frame `is immaterial to .the invention. Journaled transversely in bearings 25, bolted to the 4tops of the side fr-ames by. bolts 27, i is a rotary shaft 7 adapted to be rotated by a detachable hand crank 8 and which carries a. ywire driving or feeding member shown ascomprising a machine taken through the upper portion clamp 1, 2 made up of lopposing disks or y plates between the edges of which. the fishwire isl gripped. i At the peripheriesof the clamp sectlons or members'l, 2, the latter are provided with inner opposing grlpping faces 3, 4 of annular shape,-and it 1s between these gripping faces that the. fish-wlre .l is. introduced for feeding and retract-ing the same. I find it expedient to make one or b oth of the clamp members 1 ofra yield ing character so' that'their peripheral waregripping portions may be maintained at a Xed distance apart throughout the circuni? jference ofthe clamp. The relative angular displacenfent of theftwo. clampvlnembers is 'which pass freely through openings 10 in one member into threaded engagement. with Ithe other, as shown. order to.y make, themachine as-light as possible and therefore 60 is coiled spirally on the spool 28 between y... 1()1l -.`tal0le, {theclamp members are prefiProvided with cut-out portions, "as

.llustr'atedfso fthat they present "the gform ofjspoked wheels, *fand ity will be seen that "under these circumstances the :fastening .fthe operation of the nut 5, the same may be equipped with a hand wheel 51, as in-y dicated.l It is obvious that by rotating the -hand -wheel in one direction the opposing 'faces-of the clamp structure will be forced toward each other, to grip the {ish-wire to the required extent., while an opposite move- Ament of the hand wheel will result inthe separation of the two disk-like clamping elements.

Inthe'embodiment illustrated, the clamp member 2 is freely movable about the 'shaft 7 and is driven by means of the connections 9 from the clamp 'member 1, and also by what frictional contact exists between the nut 5 on the member 1 and the portion of said member 2 which is incontact with said nut. The member 1 is adapted to be driven in one direction by the rotation of the shaft 7, and this is effected by a clutch 47 which permits said shaft to be moved in the opposite direction without moving the clamp.

`The clutch 47 is preferably of the ratchet type and comprises a toothed portion on the member 1, coacting with aI toothed sleeve, which is `keyed to the shaft 7 by a key 48 and is urged toward the member 1, by a spring 49 suitably.l arranged around said shaft 7. While this clutch arrangement is of considerable advantage in'- some instances, as will hereinafter appear, it is not essential to the rkpurposes of the'invention when the broader aspects vof the latter are considered.

As previously intimated, the fish wire to` be driven lthrough the conduit is fed between the gripping faces 3, 4 ofthe clamp, and it is forcedv into thefconduit by therotation of the latterelement. yIn the Vmachine illustrated, the fish-wire' 11 is stored on a spool 28 made up -of :cheeks 29, 30 mounted on 4a shaft 36 extending atright angles to the shaft 7 and somewhat below the same,

said shaft 36 being journaled in suitable bearingsl 37, 38 at the ends of the machine frame, andada ted for rotation bythe same detachablecran 8 which is used in connection with the clamplshaft. The fish-wire 11 the cheeks 29, 30, one end of said wire being attached to the spool by a `hook engagingfa bolt31 extending between the spool Icheeks, or by `any other suitable expedient. `A 'plurality of ybolts 31 are preferably rem- =ployedjto clam the spool cheeks against the hub 32 off't e spool. AIn order `to Iconfinethe 'fish-'wire fin the space jbetween 'the 4vcheeks of y"its spool, I may 1employ .a strafp- 1'like-33 which jis ibent around 'the ys ool :and conforms 'to Ythe same as Vshown `in y" 41g. l2, "theends fojf said :guard being attached Ito 'thefmachine frame'as lindicatedat 34 and 35 respectively.

The 7fish-wire is 'fed `to `the clamp from the spool 'tangentially of the (former, and that portion of the wire which extends between 'the Vperipheral or ledge portions of the clamp sections l, 2 in a direction approxi mately tangential to the circumference of the clamp, is gripped between the two opposing surfaces 3, 4, as previously explained. In order to insure the proper engagement of the wire with the clamp in this fashion, I use a guide in connection with the clamp which holds the wire and confines it in its proper place between the surfaces 3, 4. As preferably constructed, this guide (14) embodies two upright parallel cheeks 15, 1.6

4 on the machine frame, that abut each other and are bolted together at their upper and lower ends by means of bolts 17, 18 respectively, the opposing faces of the cheeks at those points, viz., at the top and bottom of the guide, being suitably grooved or notched to enable the fish-wire to pass between them, as will hereinafter appeal'. The intermediate portions of the cheeks or guide blocks are cut away to accommodate transverse lower and upper rollers 12, 13 which are arranged one above thc other in a plane substantially tangential to the clamp. The axes of said rollers, which latter are suitably jouriialed at their ends in the opposing faces of the guide blocks, are directed parallel to the clamp axis. At the side of the guide which is directed toward the clamp, said guide is cut away as at 44 to present rabbets which conform to the edges .of the respective clamp members and into` It will therefore which said edges enter. be understood that when the fish-wire is drawn from its spool through rooves 42, 43

"formed at. the inner faces of t e lower and upper portions, respectively, of the guide lblocks or cheeks, such wire will pass hollow tube 45, one end of which is clamped between the guide blocks 15, 16 in notches 45, while the opposite end is intended to be introduced in the conduit in substantially the manner indicatedin Fig. 1.

It is sometimes advisable and even neces@ sary to' adjust the guide 14 toward andaway from the clamp, viz., in a direction substantially radially thereof, and to that end; the following mechanism is provided.: Thej blocks 15, 16 vofl the guide are provided atE their Ilower ends with laterally directed brackets or bars 19, 20 respectively, the outer ends of which rest on the tops of the respective side frames of the machine.

Each of ing with Athem the respective sections of the guide 14, which is thereb proximity to the edge ofY moved into closer the Clamp, as will,

be understood. It is manifest, of course,l that this specific adjustment of the guide; forms no part of my invention and various devices for obtaining the same result mayE be used. Obviously, the turning of theg bolts 22 in a direction opposite to that first indicated will permit the guide -to be l-moved away from the clamp. When the parts are" in the position shown in Fig. 1, the {ish-wire moves over the gripping faces '3, ltthrough a` `comparatively short distance, but itl is evident that if the guide were adjusted to the right with reference to that view, such distance would be considerably increased and the gripping effect of the .clamp on the wire au ented proportionately.

he operation of the improved machine is i substantially as follows :-.The sh-wire 11,3

which is preferably fiat, and -is usually provided at its forward or free end with a knob 50 to ena-ble it to pass through bends or turns in the conduit, is ordinarily wound spirally on the spool 28 when the machine is not 1n use, as shown` in Fig. 5. When the parts .are in this position the knob 50 pro- A jects slightly out of the tube or manipulat ing handle 45, and when it is desired to' `place a wire or conductor in a vconduit said knob is introduced into -t'he lmouth of the latter, after which the clamp 1, 2 is rotated .in the direction of the arrow (Fig. l), the

` crank Sbeing attached for this purpose to the end of the clamp shaft 7. In. order to produce a proper feed or driving of the ishwire, it is gripped to the necessary extent between the substantially fiat grlppin'g surfaces 3, 4 of the clamp, for lwhich Apurpose 65 the `hand wheel 51 ofthe nut 'is properly adjusted in the manner heretofore explained. The rotation-.ofthe clam will then obviously unwind the fish-wire iiom the spool and the guide 14 and its appurtenances will necessitate a .driving Ior feeding of the wire in a direction tangentially of 'the clamp, whence it passes through the flexible tube 45 and into and through the conduit. The knob 50 causes the forward-end of the fishwire to curve around in any `angles for bends that may exist in the conduit, and these -latter will therefore not interfere with the rap-id driving la'head ofthe wire. The opera-- tion proceeds as indicated until the knob 50 prot-rudes from the opposite end of the conduit. It is desirable insome cases to produce a hammer-like action on the fish-wire in order to drive-"it into the conduit with suicient force, and this is lproduced by means of the clutch 47 previously described. f Said' clutch rotates the clam positively in the ldirectionlof the arrow ig. l) but permits the crank 8 to be moved backward, viz., in the opposite direction, without :pulling the wire back from the position into which it has advanced. The crank can then be `moved forciblyin its original direction with a hammer-like impulse which lwill cause the clutch to be renga'ged and will urge the clamp in its original direction with considerable force. In this manner, the yhandle acts as a hammer .to drive the wire forward,` and at the same time the hand-le may be operatedvin a comparatively small space, as will be understood. When the fishwire is driven forward lto the position previously indicated, the wire Ato be laid in the conduit is attached'to the free end of said fish-wire, and the hand wheel 51 is then so manipulatedas to discontinue the gripping faction of the clamp on the fishwvire. The crank 8 is then transferred from the shaft 7 to 'the' seat 40 on the end of the .spool shaft 36, and the machine is then ready to rewind theish-Wire on its spool and thereby 1, pull the other wire through the conduit in a direction. opposite -to that first taken .by ythe iish-wire. This winding u of the {ish-wire canyof course, be easily e ected, and when the same is restored toits original position (Fig. '5), the other wire will be found in its-P I'oper'ultimate position in the conduit, after* which the two wires are disconnected from each other. Obviouslyl'the length of the fish-wire on the spool .mu-st correspond '1:20

with that of the longest conduit to 'be threaded with wire, and manifestly also, difv ferent lengths of the {ish-wire wlll have to be unwound and -rewound as 'called for by vthe lengths of the several conduits.

In some machines, the position of the rts as shown in Fig. 1 may .be reversed in order that the fish-wire may be forced downward from the 'machine' into an under-l ground conduit- 4for the like; and of commit is also possible to arrange the machine' to :drive the fish-wire in a sidewise direction,

with one of the rotary devices while when crank or its equivalent is used in connection the wire is to ,be moved in the opposite direction 'it is used in connection with the other of the rotary devices. The guide interposed between the two devices is, of

course, operative in both cases, z'. e., when the' fish-wire is moved in either direction.

The general arrangement of the parts as just mentioned is original with myself, in so tangentially. .40

far as am aware, and my claims in this connectlon should be interpreted accord- Of course I have not attempted to describe the numerous modifications of the structure that may be made without depart.

ing from the invention; rthe foregoing description is detailedin so far as it concerns the machine shown .in the drawing, but it is evident that the scope of my inventive idea is to be gathered from the appended claims. i

What I claim is l. 'In a conduitv fish wire machine, a frame, means to store the fish-wire thereon, and a single-axis rotary clamp on the frame with respect to which' such fish-wire' is fed 2. In 'a conduit. sh-wire machine, a

frame,ra rotary device rotatable about a sin-- gle axis in saidframe and having means at its-periphery to clamp the {ish-wire, and

means to store a ishwirein operative relaf tion to said device.

3. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a supporting fram'e,'a fish-wire spool journal'ed Y tiauy of the device.

vtherein, anda device on the frame rotatable about a sin le axis andhaving peripheral wire clamping meanstlirough which the sh-wire ispassed from said spool tangen- 4.. In a conduit s h-wi machine, a 4supporting' lframefa iish-wire spool journaled therein, a rotary single axis driving device on the lframe'having' `eripheral wire clampgential direction.

ing means which receivesv `the {ish-wire from said spool and feeds the same forward, and

af device which delivers the fish-Wire from said driving vdevice in a substantially tan- 5. In a 'conduitsh-wire'machine, a porti vable frame,'a rotary'single axis driving device on said frame having wire-gripping means which engage the sh-wire at` oppo? the fish-wire -in opposite directions respectively. When. moving the wire in one direction, theA site points and pushes the same into the conduit, and means associated with said driving device for guiding the fish-wire in a predetermined path with respect to the latter.

6. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a' portable frame, a rotary driving device thereon having wire-gripping means comprising opposing substantially Hat gripping surfaces which push the sh-wire into the conduit, and means to hold the fish-wire in operative engagement with said gripping means.

r7. In a conduit fish-wire machine, means for storing the ish-wire, a rotary driving device having coaxial members between which the fish-wire is gripped, and means t0 conduct said wire from said storing means between said gripping surfaces, and deliver it from said driving device in a substantially tangential direction.

8. In a conduit iish-wire machine, a rotary device having a single axis of rotation and equipped with wire gripping means, means for storing la sh-wlre 'in operative relation to said device, means for guiding the fish-wire from said storing means to said device and maintaining it in proper engagement therewith, and means to alter th'e gripping action of said device on the wire.

9. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a clamp rotatable about a singleaxis, means for storing a fish-wire in operative relation to said clamp, means for guiding the fish-wire from said storing m'eans to said clamp and maintaining it in properengagement therewith, and means to impart hammer-like turning impulses to the clamp. l

10...In a conduit {ish-wire machine, means for storin the fish-wire, a rotary driving device havmg opposed surfaces substantially at right angles to the axis of said device and between which the {ish-wire is gripped, means to conduct said wire from said storing means between said lpping surfaces, means to retain the wire etween said surfacesand deliver it from said driving de- .vice in a substantially tangential direction, and means for altering'the gripping effect of said driving device on the wlre.

11. In a conduit` fish-wire machine, a frame, a ish-wire spool journaled therein, and a rotary single axis wire. driving clamp journaled in said frame at' right angles to said spool. r

12. In a conduit fish-wire machine, -a frame, a iish-wire spool journaled therein, a single axis rotary clamp to'whichfthe fishwire `is delivered tangentially from said spool, and means ada ted to'be used in connection with either said clamp or said spool to rotate the samel dlrectly and positively in fthe desired direction.

13. In a conduit fish-wire machine,a iishwire spool, a single axls rotary wire driv-` ing clamp to which the ish wire is fed tanvgentially, and a single crank adapted for .use in connection with either said spool or said clamp, to rotate the same in the desired direction.

14. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a frame, a fish-wire spool journaled therein, a rotary single-axis wire driving..clamp journaled in the frame, a` guide device associated with said clamp, and a exible tube extending from said ide deviceand tirough which the fish-wire is driven by the c am 15.p The combinati-on with the framel yof a conduit fish-wire machine, and a rotary clamp j-ournaled therein, of means for iinparting hammer-like turning impulses to said clamp.

16. In a -conduit fish-wire machine, a rotary clamp to feed the fish-wire into a conduit, a clutch associated with said clamp, and means coactin with said clutch to impart hammer-like. impulses to the clamp.

17. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a rotary'clamp having opposing substantially flat surfaces to grip the sh-wire, and a guide t-o conduct the sh-wire between said surfaces in a substantially tangential direction.

18. In a conduit fishy-wire machine, the combination of a clamp having a single axis of rotation and provided at its periphery with opposing wire gripping surfaces, means to direct the fish-wire between said surfaces substantially tangentially of the clamp, and means to adjust the gripping action of the clamp on the wire.

19. In a conduit fish-wire machine, arotary wire driving clamp havingY opposed coaxial wire gripping members, and a guide to retain the wire between said members, said guide being adjustable toward and away from the clamp, as described.

20. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a ro tary clamp having lopposed substantially 4flat gripping surfaces, a lat fish-wire, and' means to store said fish-wire in positionfor the same to be fed forward or retracted by' a gripping there-of between said surfaces.

21. In a conduit fish wire machine, a rotary fish-wire clam having a single axis of rotation, in combination with a ish 'wire guide coactin with said clamp, and means.

sh wire in operative relation to store the to said clamp and said guide.

22. In a conduit iish wire machine,'a portyable frame, a rotary clamp on said frame,

comprising opposing vo'liskflike members rotatable about a common axis, and means to -l guide the sh wire between said members.

23. In a conduit ish wire machine, a portable frame, a rotary clamp comprising opposing disk-like members hav.- in a common axis of rotationl means to and means to adjust said members relatively to eachother to alter the gripping action thereof on thel sh wire. l

24.- In a conduit fish-wire -machine, a

on said frame,

guide the fish wire between said members,

frame, a disk-like member journaled therei in, means to press the fish-wire against a side face of said member, and means to guide the {ish-wire with respect to said member.

25. In a conduit fish-wire machine, a portable frame, a diskdike member-journaled therein, means to ress. the ish-wire against a side face of saidp member adfjacent the periphery thereof, means to alter the-pressure of said lastl named means on the fish-wire, and ymeans to guide the ish-wire in a denit path with respect to said member.

26. In a cond-uit sh-wire machine the combination of a portable frame, a rotary single axis clamp j'ournaled therein, to move the fish-wire inopposite directions respectively, and a guide interposed between said devices and operative to conduct the fishwire to one of the same in a substantially tangential direction.

271 In a conduit fish-wire machine, the combination 'of la portable frame, a rotary single axis clamp journaled therein, to move .the fish-wire in opposite directions respecdevices to move. the fish-wire in opposite directions respectively.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 2d day of September, 1909.

FRANK CRAWFORD. Inl presence of- JAMES R. TowNsEND, y L. BELLE RICE. 

